Chapter 35: Chimchar: What is this? Let me touch it.

With a single swing of his sword, Diluc shattered the gates of the Abyss Order’s stronghold. Scorching flames, fueled by the spreading wind, swept through the entire outpost.

The only Abyss Mage present—a Hydro element user—saw his newly formed water shield instantly disintegrate. Before he could conjure a second, Diluc’s greatsword struck him down. Diluc finished the mage with that one blow, and the remaining Hilichurls posed no threat; he dispatched them all in short order.

After collecting the Primogems, Diluc turned and headed toward the next stronghold. Since practicing the Wind Spirit Art, breaking the shields of Abyss Mages had become much easier. Previously, Pyro Abyss Mages were particularly troublesome, requiring tedious, repeated strikes to break their defenses. Now, by imbuing his blade with the power of Anemo, he could shatter them in an instant. Without their shields, the Abyss Mages were nothing more than lambs waiting for the slaughter.

That night, a multitude of Abyss Order strongholds across Mondstadt were razed. Each time one fell, a brilliant fire ignited against the dark sky.

...

In the blink of an eye, the night passed.

Inside Ye Yun’s shop, he rose from bed and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

"Ye Yun, the white porridge is already simmering. Is there anything else that needs doing? Pom-Pom." Pom-Pom looked up at Ye Yun, asking if there was any way to help.

Ye Yun smiled and shook his head. "No need, Pom-Pom. Go rest for a while."

Pom-Pom wiped the water from his hands. "I’ll go see if Klee and Hook are awake. Pom." With that, Pom-Pom waddled off toward March 7th’s room. Since March 7th hadn’t returned last night, her room had been requisitioned for Klee and Hook.

Ye Yun checked the refrigerator, pulled out a carton of eggs, and reached for a frying pan to prepare some eggs.

Just as he was cooking, the shop’s portal—which connected to all other shop portals—was pushed open. Stelle rushed in, cradling a small, flame-wreathed monkey. Dan Heng and March 7th followed closely behind.

Once inside, Stelle immediately ran to the small bar to pour herself a glass of hot water. "Ah... that’s better. Belobog gets colder every single day."

Ye Yun’s gaze fell upon the small Fire Monkey resting on the counter. He hadn’t expected Stelle to hatch a Fire Monkey; their combat potential was undeniable. If she could eventually evolve it into a Infernape, it would master a bug-tier skill: "Hellfire." While it had no other special features, the mere 1% chance to instantly kill an opponent mentioned in its description was enough to prove how broken the ability was.

Though this was reality, the system had noted that the skill only worked on enemies below the rank of an Emanator, and it could only be learned once the Infernape reached adulthood.

After finishing her water and feeling refreshed, Stelle wiped her mouth and brought the Fire Monkey to Ye Yun’s side. "Ye Yun, what do you think of my little Fire Monkey?"

"It’s good," Ye Yun said. "Among the spirits, it’s above average in combat potential. If you’re lucky enough to evolve it into an Infernape later on, you won’t have to fear any enemies below the rank of an Emanator."

Stelle’s eyes lit up. "Oh ho ho! Is it that strong? Invincible below an Emanator?"

Ye Yun pondered for a moment. "I wouldn't say invincible. The Infernape has a skill called Hellfire, which has a 1% chance to instantly kill an enemy, but it only works on those below the rank of an Emanator."

Dan Heng and March 7th, listening nearby, were stunned. March 7th exclaimed in disbelief, "That’s too ridiculous! This little monkey can actually become that strong?"

Stelle hugged the Fire Monkey tight. "As expected of a spirit belonging to the Galaxy Baseballer! It’s awesome! Hahahaha!"

Ye Yun added, "However, this skill can only be learned by an adult Infernape. There’s still a long way to go from a Fire Monkey to an Infernape."

March 7th hugged her own Bud Seed. "Ye Yun, Ye Yun, what about the Bud Seed? What’s its potential?"

"The Bud Seed is also quite good," Ye Yun replied. "Later on, it can be fused with a Sprout to become a Lisa-Bud. Lisa-Bud has strong defenses and possesses skills to heal teammates."

March 7th was overjoyed to hear that her Bud Seed was also quite impressive. As for the time required for training, neither girl cared—they were happy to spend the time to raise them.

Just then, the stomachs of Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng rumbled in unison. "Grrr... grrr..."

Seeing this, Ye Yun checked the kitchen and set a dish of pickled vegetables before them. "The porridge should be ready. Go grab some chairs and sit down to eat."

Dan Heng went to fetch the chairs. Stelle and March 7th ran into the kitchen, one washing bowls while the other served the porridge. The Bud Seed sat quietly on the counter, watching Ye Yun cook. The Fire Monkey was more mischievous; it tried to reach for the fried eggs in the pan, only to have Ye Yun catch it by the scruff of its neck and pull it back.

Once the porridge was served, the three sat at the kitchen counter, holding their bowls and eating slowly with the pickled vegetables.

Before long, Pom-Pom arrived with Klee and Hook.

"Brother Ye Yun, Sister Stelle, Sister March, Brother Dan Heng, good morning!" Klee greeted them with overflowing energy. Hook waved a hand in greeting as well.

Ye Yun looked at the two little ones. "Did you wash your faces and brush your teeth?"

Klee nodded vigorously. "Yes! Pom-Pom—I mean, the Conductor—took Klee to wash up!"

Hook chimed in, "Hook washed too! The great Pitch-Dark Hook the Great is a very clean person!"

Ye Yun nodded with satisfaction and served each of them a bowl of white porridge. "Here, have some porridge first. The rest of the food will take a little longer."

After placing the bowls before them, the two little ones ate obediently. Stelle finished her porridge in a flash and ran to the kitchen to serve herself another bowl.

Ye Yun suddenly asked, "Have you found any leads on the Stellaron?"

Stelle shrugged helplessly. "No. Natasha and the others don't even know what a Stellaron is."

March 7th also looked troubled at the mention of the topic. "We’re in a tough spot this time. There are no clues at all in the Underworld, and the Overworld is still putting out wanted posters for us. Sigh..."

Ye Yun smiled. "Since you all seem so pathetic, I’ll give you a hint: go find the oldest person in the Underworld. You'll find your clues there."

The three were immediately intrigued. March 7th chewed on his words. "The oldest person? I get it! The older someone is, the more they know. We really hadn't thought of that!"

Dan Heng’s eyes lit up. "Understood. We’ll head to the Underworld to look for them after we finish eating. Thank you for the tip, Ye Yun."

The trio then sped up their eating. After finishing another bowl of porridge, each grabbed two freshly steamed buns and rushed into the portal.